Aa
Does anyone else get frequent PVCs (bigeminy/trigeminy) ONLY in the evening and before falling asleep?
I've been diagnosed with PVCs. I rarely experience them during the day and never when exercising. I can't even really find a correlation between caffeine/alcohol and them (although I never consume anything caffeinated). I exercise regularly. And I never experience them when exercising.
However, when I do get the PVCs, they come every other beat or almost every other beat non-stop for hours. This bigeminy and trigeminy always occurs in the evening, sometime around 7 or 8 as I'm settling down from dinner and a trip to the gym. As I let my mind and body relax, the PVCs get more frequent and eventually as I lay down to get to sleep the PVCs occur at nearly every other beat.
Lately, I haven't been able to take this at night, so I will jump out of bed and furiously pump out about 50 push-ups without stopping. This gets my heart rate up quite a bit, maybe around 80 or 90 bpm. The PVCs are totally gone in what I understand is called "overdrive suppression". This works every time and sometimes if I'm lucky, will keep the PVCs at bay just long enough for me to fall asleep.
What is really interesting, is that the PVCs don't wake me up, and I'm not even sure they are occurring when I'm unconscious. I have woken up early in the morning before my alarm clock goes off, or even in the middle of the night now and then and have not felt one PVC. It seems that once I'm unconscious, these are also suppressed, or I'm just super relaxed and the heart pumps without anything irritating it to cause a PVC.
Two questions:
1) Has anyone experienced or is experiencing anything like this at all?
2) These facts are always true, and the PVCs are not that random. Don't these symptoms point to a clear cause?? My PVCs occur at slower heart rates so Beta Blockers don't work. And ablation seems extreme still. No other solutions?
Thanks in advance for any insights!
Can't sleep :(
Erik
However, when I do get the PVCs, they come every other beat or almost every other beat non-stop for hours. This bigeminy and trigeminy always occurs in the evening, sometime around 7 or 8 as I'm settling down from dinner and a trip to the gym. As I let my mind and body relax, the PVCs get more frequent and eventually as I lay down to get to sleep the PVCs occur at nearly every other beat.
Lately, I haven't been able to take this at night, so I will jump out of bed and furiously pump out about 50 push-ups without stopping. This gets my heart rate up quite a bit, maybe around 80 or 90 bpm. The PVCs are totally gone in what I understand is called "overdrive suppression". This works every time and sometimes if I'm lucky, will keep the PVCs at bay just long enough for me to fall asleep.
What is really interesting, is that the PVCs don't wake me up, and I'm not even sure they are occurring when I'm unconscious. I have woken up early in the morning before my alarm clock goes off, or even in the middle of the night now and then and have not felt one PVC. It seems that once I'm unconscious, these are also suppressed, or I'm just super relaxed and the heart pumps without anything irritating it to cause a PVC.
Two questions:
1) Has anyone experienced or is experiencing anything like this at all?
2) These facts are always true, and the PVCs are not that random. Don't these symptoms point to a clear cause?? My PVCs occur at slower heart rates so Beta Blockers don't work. And ablation seems extreme still. No other solutions?
Thanks in advance for any insights!
Can't sleep :(
Erik
You probably have what's called an 'irritable focus' in your healthy heart. This would be a few cells that are a bit twitchy and independent, but which are generally overriden by the heart's Pacemaker during physical activity. The heart rate set by the Pacemaker normally gets slower at rest, which gives these few cranky cells the opportunity to fire in the interval.
What's going on isn't dangerous, but the adrenalin rush of fear when you perceive the erratic beat makes the irritable cells even more twitchy. I myself find that when I'm calmer, the pvcs, bigeminy, and trigeminy are less numerous. While being prepped for conscious eye surgery some months ago, I could hear my erratic heart rate on the heart monitor, of course, and I noticed that as the anesthesiologist added the sedative to my IV, the PVCs disappeared even though my heart rate became much slower. Adrenaline surges are just no good for those with extrasystoles.
I'd recommend going back to your doctor to talk about this. Beta blockers slow the heart rate increase in response to exercise, so if your heart rate is in the normal range at rest, you might indeed get some relief from a little dose of something like propranolol.
But there are other medications that work for anxiety and reduce both your tension and the awareness of what the heart is doing.
What's going on isn't dangerous, but the adrenalin rush of fear when you perceive the erratic beat makes the irritable cells even more twitchy. I myself find that when I'm calmer, the pvcs, bigeminy, and trigeminy are less numerous. While being prepped for conscious eye surgery some months ago, I could hear my erratic heart rate on the heart monitor, of course, and I noticed that as the anesthesiologist added the sedative to my IV, the PVCs disappeared even though my heart rate became much slower. Adrenaline surges are just no good for those with extrasystoles.
I'd recommend going back to your doctor to talk about this. Beta blockers slow the heart rate increase in response to exercise, so if your heart rate is in the normal range at rest, you might indeed get some relief from a little dose of something like propranolol.
But there are other medications that work for anxiety and reduce both your tension and the awareness of what the heart is doing.
Much appreciated! This has been one of the most helpful answers yet in explaining what may be going on. I have an appointment with a new cardiologist (electrophysiologist) tomorrow and I'll bring up these points and ask about BB / anti anxiety options.
The previous cardiologist was supposed to be one of the best electrophysiologists in the area, however I was not impressed. After explaining this type of information the doctor said this is all random and there is only ablation or beta blockers as a solution. I just have to believe it's more complicated than that and there are other options I can take to suppress these.
The previous cardiologist was supposed to be one of the best electrophysiologists in the area, however I was not impressed. After explaining this type of information the doctor said this is all random and there is only ablation or beta blockers as a solution. I just have to believe it's more complicated than that and there are other options I can take to suppress these.
OMG, i do exactly the same. Always after 7pm when i'm relaxing watching TV.. At its least, 2 beats, skipped beat, 2 beats..etc, goes on for hours until i'm asleep. At its worst, beating crazy skipping, hard beats and cant get to sleep...Sometimes it quivers(those scare me) but i'm pretty use to it, its been going on for over 20 years and im sure i'd be dead if they were dangerous. I've found that its worst depending on the time of the month. 2 weeks before my period is the worst time, 2 weeks after i never feel a skipped beat and all quiet, but then progressively gets worse as the month goes on. When this started over 20 years ago, i also had this thing where when i was almost asleep i would feel my pulse start getting stronger and faster. After a few times of this happening i found a pattern. First i would get a stomach ache, then i would see a honeycomb pattern if my eyes were shut or the room was dark. My pulse would keep getting stronger and faster. I would then taste copper. Once my pulse raised to almost 300 bpm, lol..its more a hum and not beats at that point. My arms would start to tingle and at that point it would be over, all in about 5 minutes. And every time it followed the same pattern to the T... I would get this about once a month. Doctor told me i was having a panic attack. Although it would happen as i'm at my most relaxed and even though the first time it happened, yah, i panicked.. After that i stayed calm. After a couple years of this and just riding it out..I found out that if i took a deep breath and held it, yet, tried to push the air out without letting it out, the episode would stop. So, if i ever feel it starting, i do holding air thing and it stops. Since then, i just get the crazy evening beats now and sometimes when they are really bad, yes, i'll get up and do exercises, sometimes i'll do the chest pressing thing and that will help some.
I'm 49, normal weight, nonsmoker, nondrinker, i eat extremely healthy and exercise 5 days a week. My only fear with this is what if for some reason my heart just sticks in the quiver? I never ever feel faint, weak or anything physically wrong, i just feel it and it drives me nuts sometimes. Here is one thing that did help and it goes against all medical advice most get. I drink a cup of coffee in the evenings when i usually feel my heart act up. Has it help? yes. I heard a doctor on a news show that said that if your doctor tells you to stay away from coffee, to call him and he will set them straight. lol..Wished i could remember his name, he was some doctor who does a sunday segment on Fox. He's an older fella..But i'll have to say, compared to last year at this time, much better with coffee than without....
I'm 49, normal weight, nonsmoker, nondrinker, i eat extremely healthy and exercise 5 days a week. My only fear with this is what if for some reason my heart just sticks in the quiver? I never ever feel faint, weak or anything physically wrong, i just feel it and it drives me nuts sometimes. Here is one thing that did help and it goes against all medical advice most get. I drink a cup of coffee in the evenings when i usually feel my heart act up. Has it help? yes. I heard a doctor on a news show that said that if your doctor tells you to stay away from coffee, to call him and he will set them straight. lol..Wished i could remember his name, he was some doctor who does a sunday segment on Fox. He's an older fella..But i'll have to say, compared to last year at this time, much better with coffee than without....
I have the exact same problem!!my heart skips pretty much every other beat at night, and its the 2 or 3 in a row that scare me the most.When im moving around during the day it only rarely occurs.And never during exercise.it seems strange but its like as long as i keep moving constantly im alright.the instant i try to relax its ON!Ive had ekg,echo,holter,blood tests, and been to the er about 6 or 7 times...all normal and not life-threatening.just pvcs and pacs, and a little run of tachycardia here and there.but its driving me absolutely crazy.my boyfriend is always asking what's wrong and i dread telling him "just my heart again".because some day i fear he will just get sick of it altogether.I have tried antidepressants, it made them worse.tried beta blockers, made them worse.im on a calcium channel blocker now and it doesnt do anything.im starting to need ativan just to sleep and i dont know what to do.should i get another opinion?has anyone else had them 2 or 3 in a row ALL NIGHT?!?i know this comment is meant to help the person who posted their problem, maybe i at least have made them feel less alone?i hope so.Anyway, if anyone has any advice pls share.Oh and im only 29!
"its driving me absolutely crazy."
You have hit the nail on the head. I don't intend to be unsympathetic--having been through all this myself (over the last twenty years at least)--but since you are young and have been repeatedly shown by testing that your heart is healthy, and since you can do all the normal activity that life requires you to do, you have pretty much all the reassurance that any mortal doc can give you that your heart is OK. Now your job is to find a way to deal with your fear.
You say you have tried antidepressants. Which ones and for how long? I ask because several of them do temporarily increase anxiety, but even so, you have to take them for about a month to see the desired calming effect, if it's going to happen. A trial of only a couple of days or even a week isn't going to do it. A good shrink should give you a prescription for something like Xanax to get you over the hump to see if you get a good result.
I use the word 'shrink' advisedly. Many GPs are capable with antidepressants, but my shrink, for example, is a specialist in pharmacology, and he knows which drugs are likely to have an effect on the heart, the blood pressure, the gut and so on, so he is able to address my specific concerns in these matters. My GP, though a good guy, doesn't know all this stuff.
You have hit the nail on the head. I don't intend to be unsympathetic--having been through all this myself (over the last twenty years at least)--but since you are young and have been repeatedly shown by testing that your heart is healthy, and since you can do all the normal activity that life requires you to do, you have pretty much all the reassurance that any mortal doc can give you that your heart is OK. Now your job is to find a way to deal with your fear.
You say you have tried antidepressants. Which ones and for how long? I ask because several of them do temporarily increase anxiety, but even so, you have to take them for about a month to see the desired calming effect, if it's going to happen. A trial of only a couple of days or even a week isn't going to do it. A good shrink should give you a prescription for something like Xanax to get you over the hump to see if you get a good result.
I use the word 'shrink' advisedly. Many GPs are capable with antidepressants, but my shrink, for example, is a specialist in pharmacology, and he knows which drugs are likely to have an effect on the heart, the blood pressure, the gut and so on, so he is able to address my specific concerns in these matters. My GP, though a good guy, doesn't know all this stuff.
I know with all the testing i should be reassured but still...hard to deal with as im sure you understand.I was on zoloft for 8 years for panic disorder, but stopped takin it because it stopped working for my panic attacks.I almost took wellbutrin but it was too expensive.so i tried prozac for 3 months and it made me a psychopath(i dont know how else to describe it) and last i tried lexapro.it seemed to be working okay for a few months, then the palpitations got so bad my dr suggested going off of it.the palps lessened.so i figured maybe after being on antidep for 10 yrs of my life i should see how it goes without them.and my panic attacks have been nonexistent for about a year now, but the palps have hung around.At least they dont make me panic on a grand scale anymore.i pretty much just sit and cry, i have resigned myself to them on some level.Yet i want to keep trying to beat them.is it possibe?I do take ativan in small doses to calm me. and nothing calms me more than this forum!what worked for you?
"Yet i want to keep trying to beat them.is it possibe?"
Not really. Just as eyelid twitches happen to some people without any good reason, these heart 'twitches' are probably part of you now--as mine are with me. The difficulty in dealing with them is a two-parter:
One part is coming to believe that these funny beats are not going to harm you. The heart is a very strong and adaptable organ, and that it may have thousands of these ectopic beats per day (I have been recorded at over 4000 in 24 hours) really doesn't mean jack in terms of your ability to do the things you like. As you have probably noticed, no matter how nutty your pulse is, you can do housework, go up stairs, even work out at the gym. Your heart and circulatory system are compensating nicely for any odd beats, and your life should be physically normal.
The second part of the problem is somehow being able not to be too troubled by your palps, and that's probably harder than the first part. I have noticed that when I'm in a funk or panicky, I literally hear and feel my pvcs more than when I'm calm (and I think this is true for most of us on this forum). When I have prolonged bouts of being too aware of my pvcs, like for months on end, that's when I go back on the Zoloft full time. On the advice of my shrink, I take it long enough to give my internal car alarm a chance to cool off, as the guy puts it.
Zoloft is the most calming of the SSRIs that I have tried, though Celexa was OK. Lexapro made me a tad more nervous, and having read that Wellbutrin often has the same effect, I'm wary of that one, although it's fine for many people. If I were having your problem, I'd be interested in Buspar, but in any case, I know I'd search out a psychiatrist and get further treatment. You say you're not panicky anymore, but you do say you just sit around and cry. If you think about it, you can see that this is getting in the way of a life you are physically capable of not only living but enjoying.
My take on it is that you need more professional help from a specialist who treats anxiety. There are other medications that can help, and talk therapy and hypnosis would be very good things for you to investigate. What do you have to lose?
Not really. Just as eyelid twitches happen to some people without any good reason, these heart 'twitches' are probably part of you now--as mine are with me. The difficulty in dealing with them is a two-parter:
One part is coming to believe that these funny beats are not going to harm you. The heart is a very strong and adaptable organ, and that it may have thousands of these ectopic beats per day (I have been recorded at over 4000 in 24 hours) really doesn't mean jack in terms of your ability to do the things you like. As you have probably noticed, no matter how nutty your pulse is, you can do housework, go up stairs, even work out at the gym. Your heart and circulatory system are compensating nicely for any odd beats, and your life should be physically normal.
The second part of the problem is somehow being able not to be too troubled by your palps, and that's probably harder than the first part. I have noticed that when I'm in a funk or panicky, I literally hear and feel my pvcs more than when I'm calm (and I think this is true for most of us on this forum). When I have prolonged bouts of being too aware of my pvcs, like for months on end, that's when I go back on the Zoloft full time. On the advice of my shrink, I take it long enough to give my internal car alarm a chance to cool off, as the guy puts it.
Zoloft is the most calming of the SSRIs that I have tried, though Celexa was OK. Lexapro made me a tad more nervous, and having read that Wellbutrin often has the same effect, I'm wary of that one, although it's fine for many people. If I were having your problem, I'd be interested in Buspar, but in any case, I know I'd search out a psychiatrist and get further treatment. You say you're not panicky anymore, but you do say you just sit around and cry. If you think about it, you can see that this is getting in the way of a life you are physically capable of not only living but enjoying.
My take on it is that you need more professional help from a specialist who treats anxiety. There are other medications that can help, and talk therapy and hypnosis would be very good things for you to investigate. What do you have to lose?
Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld is the doctor who said coffee helps with irregular heartbeats. I drink one cup at around 5pm. It doesnt totally stop them, but sure helps. I tried to find his article, but had no luck. But he said, to have your doctor call him and he will set them straight on coffee and its effects on irregular heartbeats.
I laugh at my irregular heartbeats, like i figure, if they were dangerous i'd be long gone...lol. At times they do drive me a little nuts, but kind of like how maybe a noisy person would annoy me, or bad weather. But making me nuts as far as needing meds to help, never...
I laugh at my irregular heartbeats, like i figure, if they were dangerous i'd be long gone...lol. At times they do drive me a little nuts, but kind of like how maybe a noisy person would annoy me, or bad weather. But making me nuts as far as needing meds to help, never...
1 Comments
I was told to keep away from any form of caffeine!
Start documenting you episodes, when they are bad and when they are quiet. I've found it depends on hormone levels in your cycle. I've found when they drop, they get worse. If this is the case with you, wait till your pre-menopausal...lol...Yarrow, im not sure if your m or f? cant tell by your picture
you said..."has anyone else had them 2 or 3 in a row ALL NIGHT"
What does that mean? I dont understand, flutters, skips, blow out episodes? Maybe you are like me and you werent having panic attacks, thus, meds wouldnt help. Next time try the pressure thing, taking a deep breath and holding it while trying to push air out...Stops my blow out episodes easy...
What does that mean? I dont understand, flutters, skips, blow out episodes? Maybe you are like me and you werent having panic attacks, thus, meds wouldnt help. Next time try the pressure thing, taking a deep breath and holding it while trying to push air out...Stops my blow out episodes easy...
"has anyone else had them 2 or 3 in a row ALL NIGHT"
I believe by this you are referring to: "normal beat, extra, normal, extra, normal, normal, extra, extra...". There are a few technical terms here like bigeminy (normal, extra, normal), trigeminy (normal, normal, extra, normal, normal), couplets (normal, extra, extra, normal)...
Correct me if I'm wrong though.
Anyway, YES, I get bigeminy and maybe some couplets ALL NIGHT until I fall asleep. Then they go away until I wake up. Then once I get moving in the morning they go away for most of the day until it's 7pm or 8pm-ish.
I'm relieved to see that this isn't uncommon and there are people out there who experience this just like I do. My goal is to suppress the PVCs as much as possible without drugs. Here's some things that may help:
- Exercise (not only does this help temporarily to stop the PVCs, overdrive suppression, but I feel it may be able to help calm down the body long-term. i was doing cardio daily and my PVCs stopped for a few months. there might be a correlation, but i need to get back on regular cardio routine to verify ;)
- Magnesium (some people say this helps, even my electrophysiologist suggested trying it, i haven't noticed much, but i need to give it a trial for a longer period of time)
- Acupuncture (i tried this around the same time i was exercising more regularly and then my PVCs went away for a few months, this may also have helped)
- MORE REST (i know this is hard sometimes, but getting more sleep absolutely helps, i've noticed less sleep really provokes the frequency of pvcs)
...if after a while i get frustrated trying to deal with them i may also look to a shrink to prescribe me some zoloft or whatever.
Please please post more thoughts in this thread! This is very helpful to us who suffer from what I call "bradycardia-dependent PVCs" (PVCs only during slow heartbeat / before bed).
Erik
I believe by this you are referring to: "normal beat, extra, normal, extra, normal, normal, extra, extra...". There are a few technical terms here like bigeminy (normal, extra, normal), trigeminy (normal, normal, extra, normal, normal), couplets (normal, extra, extra, normal)...
Correct me if I'm wrong though.
Anyway, YES, I get bigeminy and maybe some couplets ALL NIGHT until I fall asleep. Then they go away until I wake up. Then once I get moving in the morning they go away for most of the day until it's 7pm or 8pm-ish.
I'm relieved to see that this isn't uncommon and there are people out there who experience this just like I do. My goal is to suppress the PVCs as much as possible without drugs. Here's some things that may help:
- Exercise (not only does this help temporarily to stop the PVCs, overdrive suppression, but I feel it may be able to help calm down the body long-term. i was doing cardio daily and my PVCs stopped for a few months. there might be a correlation, but i need to get back on regular cardio routine to verify ;)
- Magnesium (some people say this helps, even my electrophysiologist suggested trying it, i haven't noticed much, but i need to give it a trial for a longer period of time)
- Acupuncture (i tried this around the same time i was exercising more regularly and then my PVCs went away for a few months, this may also have helped)
- MORE REST (i know this is hard sometimes, but getting more sleep absolutely helps, i've noticed less sleep really provokes the frequency of pvcs)
...if after a while i get frustrated trying to deal with them i may also look to a shrink to prescribe me some zoloft or whatever.
Please please post more thoughts in this thread! This is very helpful to us who suffer from what I call "bradycardia-dependent PVCs" (PVCs only during slow heartbeat / before bed).
Erik
to cowgirl-i am a 29yo f, and they always come 5-7 days before my cycle, then go away after the first 3 days of it, so i have concluded they are aggravated by hormones for sure.i am NOT looking forward to menopause, it seems to trigger them in lots of women.
to heyerok-that has GOT to be what i have...bradycardia-dependent pvcs, ive never heard it described like that before.
i dont know how anyone else feels but the absolute hardest thing for me to believe no matter how many tests i have done and how many mornings i am actually surprised that i wake up(sad!) is the fact that they are NOT HARMFUL.if i could just wrap my head around that i think i could be ok.but i convince myself every time that THIS IS IT!its ridiculous and i guess i do need to talk to someone. but then theyll go away just like that, poof, and ill just go on about my life, and forget how terrorized they made me feel. tell you what, i never take a palpless day for granted!!
to heyerok-that has GOT to be what i have...bradycardia-dependent pvcs, ive never heard it described like that before.
i dont know how anyone else feels but the absolute hardest thing for me to believe no matter how many tests i have done and how many mornings i am actually surprised that i wake up(sad!) is the fact that they are NOT HARMFUL.if i could just wrap my head around that i think i could be ok.but i convince myself every time that THIS IS IT!its ridiculous and i guess i do need to talk to someone. but then theyll go away just like that, poof, and ill just go on about my life, and forget how terrorized they made me feel. tell you what, i never take a palpless day for granted!!
@colleen - when i wake up in the morning after a tough night, i think about how silly i was acting and how stupid it was that i was thinking this is life threatening stuff. because it really isn't and eventually we will all fall asleep and be fine.
however, lately falling asleep has been quite a while. i wanted to get thoughts from anyone following this thread on Beta Blockers. Any major side effects noticed? are they helping? I guess colleen you mentioned beta blockers didn't help you. my doc suggested propranolol i think. i might try it to help get sleep at night.
however, lately falling asleep has been quite a while. i wanted to get thoughts from anyone following this thread on Beta Blockers. Any major side effects noticed? are they helping? I guess colleen you mentioned beta blockers didn't help you. my doc suggested propranolol i think. i might try it to help get sleep at night.
Although they drive me a little nuts at times, i look at them this way. I usually feel a little exhausted after bad episodes and this usually equals extra calories burned. This is my reward for enduring them. And yes, there have been nights where i was surprised i woke up...lol....then i laugh.
Dont get me wrong with this comment........I'm surprised at how most people want medications to fix things. Gosh, dont yall see the lawyers on TV commercials begging for you to be represented by them because of drug companies using the public as lab rats...My poor mother in law got breast cancer because of the drugs she was given, and millions of others, to make her 'feel' better as she went through the natural occurrence of menopause. No thank you. I'll stick with my cup of coffee in the evenings, which yall should try before becoming a lab rat, its worked pretty good for me. If your worried about it keeping you up, drink it at around 4pm, this seems to work better for me..It doesnt stop them totally, but it does reduce them to just minor sputters.
Oh, last year we went up to the mountains on vacation. Once i was up high in altitude, dang those sputters. It really set them off like crazy. But, never once did i feel faint or weak. I ignored them and climbed until i was exhausted no matter how much my heart flipped flopped. It didnt beat normal more than 2 beats for hours. If that didnt do me in, nothing will..lol..
Dont get me wrong with this comment........I'm surprised at how most people want medications to fix things. Gosh, dont yall see the lawyers on TV commercials begging for you to be represented by them because of drug companies using the public as lab rats...My poor mother in law got breast cancer because of the drugs she was given, and millions of others, to make her 'feel' better as she went through the natural occurrence of menopause. No thank you. I'll stick with my cup of coffee in the evenings, which yall should try before becoming a lab rat, its worked pretty good for me. If your worried about it keeping you up, drink it at around 4pm, this seems to work better for me..It doesnt stop them totally, but it does reduce them to just minor sputters.
Oh, last year we went up to the mountains on vacation. Once i was up high in altitude, dang those sputters. It really set them off like crazy. But, never once did i feel faint or weak. I ignored them and climbed until i was exhausted no matter how much my heart flipped flopped. It didnt beat normal more than 2 beats for hours. If that didnt do me in, nothing will..lol..
I'm male, 66 years old and have had pvcs for decades, although they were controlled completely by COQ10. About 4 months ago that stopped working and I'm now getting them, like you, in the evenings. Like right now. They're very irregular, follow no pattern. I get them occasionally during the daytime. I've been reading up on too much iron in the blood and stored in the organs. It's called hemochromatosis.Most common amongst Euro descended males (me). It leads to pvcs and diabetes, liver disease and heart disease as well, so it's worth getting your blood checked for too much iron - which I'm going to do tomorrow. I've found that acetaminophen (Tynlenol) helps because it reduces the iron in the blood. My evening pvcs go on all night long. I'll wake up at 3AM to go to the bathroom and lie awake being kept up by this little buggers. But they do seem to go away during the day. I'll keep you all posted on the iron thing.
Interesting...i looked around on hemochromatosis. I give blood occasionally and i'm always told my iron is really good for my age. Maybe good because if it should be lower, yet is higher, maybe there's a reason?...Its been a while since i've giving blood, maybe i should and see where my iron level is.
I am near the same age as you, artp1. I am 62 and have been plagued with these pvc problems since I was about 14. They used to be infrequent but over the years they have become much much more and more active as well as very much more intense. Bending over, sitting, taking a deep breath as well as at bed time and in the middle of the night. At other times they happen when I am doing nothing in particular. I sure could use some "note comparison" with those who feel that we share the same, or similar, symptoms. I take amiodarone 200mg in the morning and 100mg at night. I also take lorazepam 2mg when necessary and sometimes find some temporary relief as if the med calms the nerve impulses that cause these single and runs of pvcs. Hope to hear from you both as well as others who may read this. You all take care and hang in there!
Being new on here, I haven't grasped all the ways to use this program. I have posted and am so thankful for for all who are involved. I am going to try to keep up with this forum and hope to chat with others concerning this heart arrhythmia problem. Again thank you all !
Thanks for the comeback. Went to the Doc today who says he's been monitoring my iron all along and I'm not on iron overload. It's rare but worthy of checking. many doctors don't. He then listed everything that would cause PVC's and the list is as long as your arm. He concluded that "Life causes PVC's". I'll second that. He said to learn to live with it as best I can but be careful because if they become too serious they can start a tachacardia that could be very serious.
I've been on Metoprolol 50 mg one in the AM and one in the PM and it makes me dizzy and makes me feel like my heart is squeezing and doesn't do grunt to really control my PVC's. I have a close friend who is a psychologist, my age, who has the same thing. He was on Metoprolol and complained to his doctor who forced the pharmacy to give him the real medication, Toprol. Toprol is the brand name. Metoprolol is the generic. My friend said the Metoprolol made him feel worse and as soon as he got on the Toprol he never had another PVC. Generics have to be something like 60% as effective as the brand name but can have impurities. They are not identical and they frequently come from China, India, the Czech Republic, etc. Who knows what is in them? So I started Toprol today. I'll keep you posted as to what effect it has on me.
I believe there's a lot we can do for each other if we share information on this site. Keep me posted and be well.
I've been on Metoprolol 50 mg one in the AM and one in the PM and it makes me dizzy and makes me feel like my heart is squeezing and doesn't do grunt to really control my PVC's. I have a close friend who is a psychologist, my age, who has the same thing. He was on Metoprolol and complained to his doctor who forced the pharmacy to give him the real medication, Toprol. Toprol is the brand name. Metoprolol is the generic. My friend said the Metoprolol made him feel worse and as soon as he got on the Toprol he never had another PVC. Generics have to be something like 60% as effective as the brand name but can have impurities. They are not identical and they frequently come from China, India, the Czech Republic, etc. Who knows what is in them? So I started Toprol today. I'll keep you posted as to what effect it has on me.
I believe there's a lot we can do for each other if we share information on this site. Keep me posted and be well.
@artp1 - Any luck with the brand name Toprol? I think that's also what my doc prescribed me. However, I haven't tried it yet. I'm wary of the side effects and for now I'm able to live through the PVCs, but sometimes they're pretty bad at night and I can't get to sleep right away. So I'm interested to hear if i works for you and better than the Metoprolol.
Thanks!
Thanks!
The fact that you are able to wipe out the PVCs at heart rates 80-90 BPM is a really good sign. I'm really impressed that you are able to do 50 push-ups at 90 BPM too.
It's interesting what you say about not having PVCs in the morning. My heart rate before sleep is usually in the low 60s and this is when I get most of my ectopic beats (PACs or PVCs). In the morning it's in the high 40s, and my heart rate is usually completely regular. If I start to think about all I have to do at work this day, they start immediately.
The reason is simple. If your heart rate is low, you are more "vulnerable" to get PVCs, in other words, less adrenaline is required.
I think your treatment should be some kind of stress reduction before sleep. As I've said before, there are no more significant triggers of PVCs then worrying about PVCs. If you can stop worrying, I think this will solve most of the issue, but "accumulation" of stress through the day tends to be really bad for PVCs too. Possible half an hour of yoga, meditation or light exercise before bedtime would help?
It's interesting what you say about not having PVCs in the morning. My heart rate before sleep is usually in the low 60s and this is when I get most of my ectopic beats (PACs or PVCs). In the morning it's in the high 40s, and my heart rate is usually completely regular. If I start to think about all I have to do at work this day, they start immediately.
The reason is simple. If your heart rate is low, you are more "vulnerable" to get PVCs, in other words, less adrenaline is required.
I think your treatment should be some kind of stress reduction before sleep. As I've said before, there are no more significant triggers of PVCs then worrying about PVCs. If you can stop worrying, I think this will solve most of the issue, but "accumulation" of stress through the day tends to be really bad for PVCs too. Possible half an hour of yoga, meditation or light exercise before bedtime would help?
Mine i believe are triggered by hormones. At least the bad episodes are. I do get them under stress, but they are more regular due to hormones.
Has anyone tried coffee? I swear it helps me, I've been testing it for several months now and although it doesn't completely stop it, it does lessen it a lot. If you don't try it because you either don't like coffee or it keeps you awake, think about what the drug you get prescribed is going to do to you, not just now, but even later on. Coffee sure seems like a easy thing to try when you think about it that way.
Has anyone tried coffee? I swear it helps me, I've been testing it for several months now and although it doesn't completely stop it, it does lessen it a lot. If you don't try it because you either don't like coffee or it keeps you awake, think about what the drug you get prescribed is going to do to you, not just now, but even later on. Coffee sure seems like a easy thing to try when you think about it that way.
I agree with the hormone thing in women. I have had them for the last 15 years, and for some reason they are getting much worse. They are especially bad about 2 weeks before, and usually go completey away by the third day. I have tried beta-blockers, and that didnt phase them. Lexapro made them much much worse. I know that an anti-depressent would probably help if I could just find one that doesnt have any cardiac effects.. Any ideas?? I have had thyroid disease most of my life and I know that thyroid may contribute to this.
My shrink tried me on four (or maybe it was five?) SSRIs before we found two that agreed with my and my PVCs. I can't say Lexapro made them worse, but it sure as heck made ME a lot more nervous--and it made chocolate tasteless. Oh, bad! Paxil I also found more stimulating than calming. However, both Celexa (Lexapro's mother) and Zoloft were very calming to me and my twitchy ticker. Of the two, I prefer Zoloft.
My psychiatrist has a particular interest in the biochemistry of these drugs, and since I have had hyperthyroidism (in the past, not now), as well as PVCs and labile hypertension, his best choices for me are Celexa and Zoloft, because he says they generally have few effects on the heart and BP.
However, as you know, everyone is different, and it would not be surprising if a patient had to try several antidepressants to find the right one.
My psychiatrist has a particular interest in the biochemistry of these drugs, and since I have had hyperthyroidism (in the past, not now), as well as PVCs and labile hypertension, his best choices for me are Celexa and Zoloft, because he says they generally have few effects on the heart and BP.
However, as you know, everyone is different, and it would not be surprising if a patient had to try several antidepressants to find the right one.
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